The present invention relates to a power transmission device for a vehicle that includes a transmission mechanism accommodated in a case and capable of transmitting power between a plurality of rotating elements, and that transmits power from a power generation source to an axle through the transmission mechanism with the power transmission device installed on the vehicle.
As an example of a power transmission device for a vehicle of this type, a power transmission device for a vehicle including a torque converter, an oil pump, a forward/backward switching mechanism, a continuously variable transmission unit, a gear train, a differential mechanism (differential gear), and the like accommodated in a case composed of a converter housing, a transaxle case, and a rear cover has been known (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-183714 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-36633). In such a power transmission device for a vehicle, power from an engine is: transmitted to the continuously variable transmission unit through the torque converter and the forward/backward switching unit; continuously shifted by the continuously variable transmission unit; and transmitted to right and left drive wheels through the gear train and the differential mechanism.